You reap what you sow, as the saying goes. Five months ago, the New York Jets opted to move on from quarterback Aaron Rodgers. The 41-year-old returned to Jersey on Sunday afternoon, claiming no ill will towards the organization which (per Rodgers account) forced him to fly out on his own dime for a 15-minute breakup meeting, and threw four touchdowns to no interceptions in a Steelers victory. Pittsburgh has plenty of flaws after just one week of football – the defense was shoddy at best, the offensive line is a mess and the run game was nonexistent – but they may have finally found a solution at QB in No. 8.
For all his downplaying, Rodgers was notably thrilled about defeating his former team postgame. When asked specifically how he felt about beating Aaron Glenn, Rodgers deflected, saying he "was happy to beat everybody associated with the Jets," but then took a quick jab at the organization as a whole.
"There were probably people in the organization that didn't think I could play anymore," Rodgers, 41, said after the game. "So, it was nice to remind those people that I still can."
Aaron Rodgers can forgive, but won't forget how the Jets treated him on the way out
Much of the pregame conversation surrounding Rodgers return to the Meadowlands involved reunions, whether it be with some of his favorite players or coaches who remain on the Jets staff. Rodgers spent two years in New York, much of it rehabbing from a torn Achilles in his first game as a Jet.
Rodgers' tenure did not go smoothly, and much of that was due to circumstances out of his or the team's control. Rodgers missed an entire year due to injury, and didn't look the same after the fact. The Jets tried, time and time again, to appease Rodgers by adding targets familiar to him like Davante Adams, Allen Lazard and Randall Cobb. None of it was good enough. In fact, Rodgers openly complained about the Jets organization on multiple occasions via the Pat McAfee Show on ESPN.
So, it should come as no surprise to anyone but Rodgers that, when given the chance, a new coaching staff wanted nothing to do with him. First, Aaron Glenn reportedly wasn't a big believer in Rodgers on-field ability at 41 years old (he'll turn 42 in December). Second, the off-field concerns weren't worth the while for a player who, again, Glenn didn't believe in. New coaching staffs often want to start fresh, and the Jets did just that by mutually parting ways with Rodgers, and signing Justin Fields.
Aaron Rodgers taught Aaron Glenn, Jets a lesson in humility
While ridding themselves of the parasite that Rodgers can be when he's not performing up to par is understandable, how the Jets went about doing so was sketchy, to say the least. There were reports for months that a Rodgers return was unlikely, so the future Hall of Famer couldn't have been surprised when New York ultimately moved on. However, asking Rodgers for a face-to-face meeting on his own dime only to dump him seems...uncalled for.
"With A.G., he's going to do it a certain way -- a way he believes in," former Jets quarterback Chad Pennington said in April. "I think that's one of his strong points. That's what made him a great DB. He had a certain way of doing things and he's a true professional, so it doesn't surprise me that it correlates to him being a coach as well."
Per Rodgers (which should always be taken with a grain of salt), Glenn was direct with him, essentially handing him a pink slip about a minute into the conversation. My question to Glenn is simple, in this case: Couldn't this have been done over zoom? Why summon Rodgers via private jet only to end the relationship face-to-face?
Even at 53, Jets head coach Aaron Glenn has a lot to learn
Rodgers also hinted that Glenn felt his presence on the team would undermine his authority as a first-year head coach. While Glenn came to the correct conclusion in letting Rodgers walk, what he was lacking in his conversation with the QB was a crucial personality trait for any head coach or leader of me – compassion. Even when dealing with a player like Rodgers – someone who is a first-ballot Hall of Famer and likely took less than a month to line up another job – getting cut from an NFL roster isn't easy.
There's a reason that securing a win over his former team felt like a weight off Rodgers shoulders, and he took some shots at the Jets postgame. It all stems from how he was treated in that exit interview.
By all accounts, Glenn is direct and doesn't beat around the bush. Despite being a former player himself, Glenn tries to separate himself from those on the roster, and treat creating the best possible team as the business it is. That being said, emotion and compassion are critical parts of leadership, especially for a young team like the Jets.
Glenn runs a tight ship, and believes in Fields as his quarterback. The Jets have a promising future with that exact formula. There will be lessons along the way, and Rodgers provided an easy route forward for New York's head coach.